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Checking on the log beams supporting our roof appears to be increasing. Maybe it's in my head or maybe it's winter and the checks are just more pronounced. About every second or third beam has a…Continue

I am restaining a log home with Wolman Durastain, Semitransparent stain (same stain as on walls now). I know it's not the best stain but it's what's on the house now and I'd like to avoid a complete…Continue

We recently purchased a log home. All the places the previous owners hung pictures are now lighter in color than the surrounding wall, which was exposed to the light. The walls are not stained.…Continue

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"Hello again, I just saw ChrisB's comment on treatment of the exterior of log homes and I must say that I avoid using products that you buy at paint and hardware outlets. The investment for the home of your dreams deserves the best products to…"

"Hello folks, Every time I hear of someone power washing a log home my first question is what did you use with the power washer to clean the logs. You need to contact experts at LogFinish.com. I have been in the log home business over thirty years…"

"The indoor humidity should be kept around 40 to 45% and burning with wood often causes things to dry and crack (beams, flooring, skin) when humidity is not controlled. Especially up high where air is not circulating? Get a humidistat and maybe a…"

"Bruno,
I have seen checks like that and bigger, develop near excessive mortise and tenon joints along floor joists and cause weakness. Once, I had to jack a second floor up 3 inches and add columns. (There are pictures on my facebook of repairs) It…"

"Bruno -
I'm not a structural engineer, so can't speak to the safety of those beams. I can tell you that checking like that is fairly typical on the interior, even after several years, and it will eventually stop when the wood comes…"

Checking on the log beams supporting our roof appears to be increasing. Maybe it's in my head or maybe it's winter and the checks are just more pronounced. About every second or third beam has a 1-4" to 1/2" (only a few are 1/2") checks. Most go from 3-5 feet but some are the length of log. Attached are several picsWe…See More

"Yes, remove the mildew before staining. The stain itself may be mildew resistant, but only once dry and only on the surface. It won't kill existing mildew growth as you apply it. Trapping it underneath will look ugly and could lead to premature…"

I am restaining a log home with Wolman Durastain, Semitransparent stain (same stain as on walls now). I know it's not the best stain but it's what's on the house now and I'd like to avoid a complete change.I power washed the walls and let dry for a few days. It appears there is mildew on logs in several places (this mildew may have appeared during drying (?)). The mildew can be brushed off with rag in places. The Durastain is supposed to be mildew resistant. Do I need to remove this before…See More

"If you switch stains you are committing yourself to having to strip the house to remove the other stain before installing a new product. If you don't, you are looking at an even more costly fix when it fails due to product incompatibility. If…"

I recently purchased a log home. The previous owner used Wolman Durastain semi transparent stain on the home. I need to restain. I don't know if I should reuse this stain or go with something different. Any experience or ideas out there. Thanks.

"Good Morning John,
To answer your questins about if you were to hang pictures up would you still get discoloration where they were hung. The answer would be yes, unless you put on a poly that has a UV prohibitor in it.
You can check to see if the…"

"Ahhh...yes. The picture frame effect, which is very common if the interior logs are not properly treated. A pigmented stain with a UV additive should help in the future. After you have washed down your walls of course. Just because your interior is…"

"Log Wash by Perma-Chink would work well for cleaning up the logs. I used it on a 150+ building that didn't have a finish on the interior. - Did an amazing job brightening them up and bringing back the natural color."

"Good Morning Bruno,
I also agree with Bob if you want you can wait a couple of years and the logs will eventually merry up together.
Or you could sand the whole interior to merry up the photo degradation part. ( You must do the whole room.)
There…"